Music, sound, video make museum come excitingly alive

Laura Vodanovich. Photo / File

Music, sound and video help bring the museum to life.

The beautifully acoustic Century Theatre plays a key role as a venue for live music, and Chamber Music New Zealand's 2018 concert season in the theatre is well under way.

There's still an opportunity to experience the resonance and tone of beautifully played music in the theatre with four more performances in the concert season: May 24, June 24, August 16 and October 7. I highly recommend attending a performance if you can fit it into your calendar.

We also have live music outside the theatre, with a team of dedicated volunteers who come in and play our piano within the gallery spaces. Just last night someone told me they had visited the museum recently and particularly loved hearing the piano played as they looked through the displays.

Throughout the majority of our galleries we've some form of music or film. In Tenei Tonu, performers from Kahurangi Maori Dance along with Rakei Ngaia welcome visitors to the gallery.

This video, projected on a large scale, gives a real sense of experiencing a powhiri in person, with wero and waiata drawing you in.

I'm personally drawn to the beautiful and mesmerising video works in Yuki Kihara's exhibition Te Taenga Mai O Salome. These works are not only visually stunning but speak to much deeper content. For example one work, simply featuring Yuki's hands, shows the rhythm and build-up of the 2009 tsunami that hit Samoa.

The Survivors Stories film in the 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake gallery continues to be a favourite with visitors – really helping to provide a sense of the experience through firsthand accounts.

In Steadfast Steamers: Models of Hawke's Bay Shipping there's some fascinating historical footage from the early 20th century. Many visitors are telling us they love watching episodes from The Forsyte Saga in our Nyree Dawn Porter: From Local Stage to Global Stardom exhibition.

Hei Manu Tioriori: Songbirds is entirely about music, sound and video. This popular exhibition explores 100 years of Ngati Kahungunu's love of music. With a number of soundtracks to listen to, memorabilia, instruments, images and video this exhibition is a rich treasure trove of music that invites you to explore.

We're in the middle of Hearing Awareness Week, May 3-9, Sign Language Week is May 7-13. The focus for Hearing Awareness Week this year is noise-induced hearing loss.

Exposure to prolonged loud noises damages our hearing - with no pain and often no conscious awareness. Power tools and loud music are key causes and the advice is to wear ear protection and limit exposure.

Today we're hosting a gallery tour for Hawke's Bay families of deaf children, who have specifically asked for a tour of Hei Manu Tioriori as the vibrations, video content and interactive musical instrument wall works well for these children.

Next weekend, on Saturday, May 12, we have New Zealand Sign Language taster classes available for everyone to try a free 45-minute class.

There are opportunities for all to enjoy the sights and sounds within the museum.

• New Zealand Sign Language Class, 9.30am for children under 13, 11am for adults and children 13-plus. Spaces are limited – please book through MTG ph 835 7781
• Chamber Music New Zealand presents Alex Ross with Bianca Andrew and Stroma, Thursday, May 24, 7.30pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.
• The Music of Leonard Cohen, Saturday, May 26, 7.30pm. Tickets available from Ticketek

• Laura Vodanovich is the director of the Museum Theatre Gallery (MTG) Hawke's Bay.